Conventional modern firearm components and magazines are generally fabricated from metals (e.g., steels or aluminums) or from thermoplastic polymer composites reinforced with other materials to meet specific performance requirements not obtainable from the thermoplastic polymers, such as polypropylene (PP) and nylon. One class of thermoplastic polymer composites commonly used in firearm components and magazines is long-fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFTs). LFTs are thermoplastic polymers reinforced with long glass or carbon fibers, or a combination thereof. Thermoplastic polymers may also be reinforced with other materials, such as steel.
Still other firearm components and magazines are fabricated from or incorporate polycarbonate (PC) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK), which may be used without reinforcement. Polycarbonate and PEEK magazines may be made in various colors and with various levels of opacity, which may reduce or eliminate the need for a magazine level indicator allowing visual inspection of the number of rounds held by the magazine. However, use of polycarbonates and PEEK to provide opacity comes at the cost of reduced creep and chemical resistance when compared to other materials, such as LFTs. As a result, PEEK magazines exhibit feed lip deformation that eventually result in ammunition retention and feed problems when stored loaded with ammunition for extended periods of time. To compensate for creep, some conventional PEEK magazines incorporate other materials, such as steel, into the feed lips.
Due to the undesirable characteristics associated with translucent materials, some conventional magazines have bodies made from LFTs, or other more durable materials, and utilize windows made from polycarbonate or PEEK to cover the magazine level indicator openings rather than compromise quality by using PC or PEEK to produce a translucent magazine. Left uncovered, magazine level indicator openings provide intrusion points for contaminants, such as dirt, oil, water, chemicals, etc., which may degrade the internal components (e.g., the spring) of the magazine or interfere with the operation of the magazine (e.g., cause binding).
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.